


A Universal Kindness

by kaleidomusings



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Feelings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 11:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6752104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaleidomusings/pseuds/kaleidomusings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A canopy of stars hover overhead when Poe opens his eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Universal Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is dedicated to [Baan00](http://baan00.tumblr.com/), who requested "Poe's journey of going back to the base from Jakku after the crash and all he thinks about is Finn…"

A canopy of stars hover overhead when Poe opens his eyes. 

He stares up at the night sky, feeling like he's been crushed by an angry happabore from how much pain his body is in. His skin feels hot and blistery, his throat is parched and dry, and he tastes blood in his mouth. He pushes against the sand beneath him and sits up gingerly -wincing at the way his ribs protest the movement, the dizzying way his head spins- and tries to remember where he is and how he got here, but his mind comes up blank. 

Poe glances down at himself to check and see if anything is broken, although thankfully his ribs seem to have taken the worst of the damage. But he shivers, the ruthless desert air seeping through his shirt and pants, wondering what happened to his jacket and how he lost it--

And then it all comes back to him. His mission. Jakku. The map to Luke Skywalker. Getting captured and tortured, with the only consolation being the knowledge that BB-8 got away until Kylo Ren violently tore it out of him. Awaiting death until a Stormtrooper stole him right from out of the First Order's nose. The Stormtrooper he named Finn. _Finn_. 

"Finn!" Poe shouts, his voice cracking, and it makes him realize just how thirsty he is. He scrambles to his feet and turns, nearly stumbling as he does. "Finn!"

He recalls that they stole a TIE fighter and worked surprisingly well together, him in the cockpit and Finn as his gunner. But they were hit by a stray cannon blast and plummeted through Jakku's atmosphere with the ground rushing up toward them. The last thing Poe remembers is yelling at Finn to eject, groping for his own eject button when it all went dark. 

How long has he been unconscious? He can't see fire or smoke from a possible wreckage site and his skin feels raw from being out in the sun for too long, so it must have been a while. Several hours, at the very least. 

His heart sinks at the realization and he curses himself under his breath, running his hands through his hair. That poor kid. He was so desperate to get away from the First Order that he helped an enemy pilot escape, despite how terrified he was. How he didn't even have a name, only a designation, until Poe gave him one. Finn's intentions might not have been as pure as he claimed at first for helping him, but Poe owes him his life. He would have offered Finn a place in the Resistance for that reason alone, but instead he got him killed.  

A small part of him hopes Finn managed to survive the crash and that BB-8 is safe, even if all evidence points to the contrary. But it doesn't hurt to have a little optimism, especially in a war like this one. So Poe cradles that hope close to his heart, squares his shoulders, and starts to walk. 

\--

It's something of a miracle that Poe manages to reach the nearest town without collapsing. There are a few close calls, but dehydration and hypothermia aren't on the list of possible ways Poe expects to die, so he makes it there out of sheer stubbornness. The sun is peeking out over the horizon and the sky turning a soft pink color, when he stumbles into town and he spends the next couple hours trying to find somebody who will help him.

Even after he does grab someone, it takes some cajoling, begging, bribery, and blatant threatening until the scavenger finally hands over a transmitter Poe can use to send an encoded message to the Resistance. A bit more pestering gets him some water and ration bread. He's careful to make it last, taking slow sips and small bites as he keeps an eye out for any Stormtroopers or any unsavory types who might be after the bounty the First Order is sure to put out on him. Poe has already heard rumors about BB-8 getting off the planet with two culprits who stole an old Corellian freighter. He sits in what little shade he can find, musing about whether one of those two people are Finn, which is how Jess finds him when she lands a disguised transport and comes out to meet him. 

"Hey," Poe says, waving lazily at her. 

She tilts her head, studying his tattered clothes and bruised face. The blood still matted in his hair. "I'd punch you in the throat for making us all think you were dead, but I won't because you look awful."

"Thanks, Pava. You really know how to make a guy feel special."

"I just say it like it is, boss," Jess replies. Fortunately, she makes no mention about how heavily he leans against her as they hobble their way back to the ship. Instead, she takes pity on him and wordlessly leads Poe to the back where a cot is waiting for him. She bandages him up as best she can and orders him to lie down and rest, which he protests. 

"Which one of us is the commanding officer here? Besides, you need a co-pilot."

Jess pats his cheek affectionately, ignoring him completely. "Get some sleep before I sedate you myself."

Poe grumbles about insubordination as she heads to the cockpit, but truthfully he is exhausted. Unfortunately, sleeping is a lost cause for him when the memory of Kylo Ren digging through his mind like a parasite is still fresh. Worst of all, every time he closes his eyes the only thing he can think about is Finn smiling at him, relieved when Poe assured him that - _yes_ \- he can fly anything. 

"Damn it," Poe chokes out and covers his face with his hands. 

He barely even knew Finn and they were so busy escaping that he didn't really have a chance to, but the loss of him hits Poe harder than he expects it to. Jess must sense it, because she doesn't leave his side while the medics fuss over him. She's a good friend like that. 

After an eternity of being poked and prodded, they deem him relatively unharmed despite the concussion he got from the crash and his bruised ribs, so they let him go with strict orders to eat some real food and rest. He agrees, only because -as much as he likes Major Kalonia and most of the staff- he's all to happy to leave. 

"Come on, Dameron," Jess says, gently tugging his arm and guiding him down the corridor. "Let's go to the mess."

"Poe."

He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He turns and smile as Leia makes her way toward them. "General Organa."

Jess squeezes his shoulder. "I'll grab you something to eat," she says before turning to Leia with a smile of her own. "General."

"Well done, Lieutenant Pava," Leia says, soft and grateful.

Jess beams at the praise, then she winks at Poe and saunters away. 

Leia silently beckons Poe to follow and he does, not all surprised when she leads him to her office. She shuts the door behind them and pours him a cup of tea, using the kettle she keeps on a little table near her desk. "Sit down."

"General," Poe starts.

Leia stares at him until he relents and does as he's told. She sets the cup in front of him before fetching her own, sipping it standing up. "If you even think of apologizing, I'll ground you from flying for the rest of your life."

He wants to laugh, but he's too tired to do so. "I failed my mission," he says instead.

"BB-8 hasn't been found by the First Order," Leia reminds him. "So the map is still safe. We just have to find it before they do."

"I broke under Ren's interrogation."

Leia's mouth tightens the way it does when she's angry, but her eyes are sad and full of pain. "He's a powerful Force user. There are few who can bear it." 

Poe knows that she means well, but her words cut deep when he remembers how quickly he crumbled to Kylo Ren's mental invasion. But instead of saying so, he debriefs Leia about his failed mission. He tells her about Lor San Tekka and the destruction of Tuanul. He tells her of his capture and what little he saw of the Finalizer, the advanced tech the First Order has. And he tells her about Finn. 

Finn, who was so brave for going against everything he's ever known. Finn, who was smart and resourceful, picking up how to use the TIE fighters weaponry quickly despite having never used them before. Finn, who said, "Good to meet you, Poe," as easily as breathing, when it's unlikely he's ever had the opportunity to say it before. Finn, who died in the harsh sands of Jakku when he deserved so much more. 

"We had a connection," Poe says softly, his hands wrapped around his still full cup, the tea having long since grown cold. "At least I think we did. Guess now I'll never know for sure." The universe is cruel like that, taking and taking and taking. 

Leia reaches out and gently places her hand on his knee. "It's always difficult to lose people we care about."

Poe wonders how to respond to that when there's a knock at the door, followed by Connix's voice. "General Organa?"

"Come in."

Connix opens the door and peeks in, clearly apologetic about interrupting but looking like she has urgent news that can't wait. "We just received word that BB-8's been found on Takodana."

"BB-8?" Poe leaps to his feet, nearly spilling tea all over himself. He sets the cup on her desk harder than he means to and turns to Leia, near buzzing with excitement. "Permission to go, General."

She frowns, obviously reluctant to clear him on another mission so soon after his last one, but she knows as well as Poe does that she needs him. "Just keep the reckless flying to a minimum," she says at last.

Poe smirks with more bravado than he feels. Because he's angry and in pain, and he wants to make the First Order pay for Jakku. "No promises."

\--

Poe is still exhilarated from the fight as he climbs out of Black One and jumps to the ground, pulling off his helmet and gloves to hand to the technician, when he hears familiar beeping. 

"BB-8, my buddy!" he says as soon as he catches sight of the little droid rolling toward him. He's relieved, so relieved he could cry. "Oh, it's so good to see you."

It beeps at him as he crouches down next to it, telling him all about its journey from Jakku back to base. And then he hears a name that makes his breath catch. 

"Finn's here? Where is he?"

BB-8 glances back the way it came and Poe immediately turns his head in that direction, heart pounding fast when he catches sight of the figure standing some distance away. 

He rises to his feet, grinning so wide that it pulls against the cuts on his face. " _Oh no_." 

"Poe?" He hears Finn say as they start running toward each other. "Poe Dameron? You're alive!"

Finn's not dead. He's _alive_ and _here_ and it feels like the universe is righting itself at last when they throw their arms around each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> While I know how Poe got off of Jakku is explained in the Force Awakens novelization, I decided to write my own take on it, which is why the details are obviously not at all like the book. Still, I hope you like it! And please leave kudos and comments below. I love to hear from everyone who reads my stories!


End file.
